All Sri Lanka can be divided into three biotic (life) zones. • A dry evergreen, moist deciduous, and thorny scrub zone claims the pearl-shaped North Indian Ocean island’s eastern and northern plains.• An intermediate moist evergreen and semi-evergreen zone emerges between the eastern and northern highlands and lowlands.• A wet evergreen zone favors the central-southern highlands and southwestern ridges and valleys.

Insular fauna has a likelihood of being not only island-exclusive but also zone-specific.• For example, mammalogists historically identify Sri Lanka as part of the Asian palm and small Indian civets’ homelands and sole home of golden palm civets.• But specimens obtained by Channa Rajapaksha and studied by Kelum Manemandra-Arachchi and Colin P. Groves suggest 3+ zone-specific civets.

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Paradoxurus zeylonensis: a real species or a mistaken identity?

Part of the challenge and excitement inherent in the scientific method centers upon examining and re-examining specimens, interpreting and re-interpreting data, and mastering and re-mastering technology. Binomial (“two-name”) and trinomial (“three-name”) description and verification of species and subspecies depend upon the accuracy of data, the currency of equipment, and the experience of taxonomists. Scientific advances and technological breakthroughs in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries particularly goad wildlife-loving amateurs and professionals to analyze the new and re-analyze the old. New-fangled machines and old-fashioned observations in fact join to debate the possibilities of:

The Cuvier description does not echo the Pallas identification. The Pallas presentation fits with the known physique of the Asian palm civet. The Cuvier taxonomy meshes with Channa Rajapaksha’s specimens.

Paradoxurus aureus

Channa Rajapaksha appears as the likeliest of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries' unlikeliest discoverers and explorers. He belongs on the list of modern-day professionals who expertly advance and juggle avocations and vocations. As a St. Sebastian's College graduate, he channels math concentrations into Commercial Bank's e-career paths.

The bio-geographies of the Cuvier museum specimen and the Rajapaksha tomahawk-trapped male belong to the central wet-zoned foothills and highlands. The Rajapaksha live-trapping comes from Kalupahana in the Dumbara (Knuckles) mountain range. Distributional ranges therefore encompass:

Golden Wet-Zone Palm Civet iconic landscape: Maskeliya view of Adam's Peak, which has rock formation near summit interpreted as sacred footprint, of Adam for Christians and Muslims, of Buddha for Buddhists, of Shiva for Hindus.

Maskeliya was site of Sri Lanka's worst air disaster, in 1974, with loss of 191 lives in crash of Martinair Flight 138, a charter flight with 182 Indonesian hajji pilgrims + 9 crew.

Conclusion

Endemic distributional ranges are more likely than unlikely for Sri Lanka's fauna and flora. Mammalogists historically attribute 1 endemic and 2 native civet species to Sri Lanka. But the evidence of a banker and the insights of 2 experts combine to scramble and weight statistics in favor of endemism. The recognition of 2 natives -- Asian palm and small Indian civets -- and of 3 endemics -- golden dry-zone, golden wet-zone, Sri Lankan brown palm civets -- apparently conveys more accurately the historical and the present statuses of Sri Lanka's elusive, reclusive civets. Keeping scientific research advances at highly accurate informational levels demands:

Exact provenances;

Excellent specimens;

Expert training.

It likewise necessitates:

Government protection;

Wildlife activism.

Golden Wet-Zone Palm Civet landscapes: Horton Plains National Park, established as nature reserve in 1969 and as national park in 1988

Acknowledgment

Talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the Internet;

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University for superior on-campus and on-line resources.

Golden Wet-Zone Palm Civet landscapes: Tops of buildings in village of Teldeniya, submerged during building of Victoria Dam, from 1978 - 1985, are visible during droughts (center right), when reservoir levels dramatically drop, as in 2012.

Sources Consulted

Bell, D.; Roberton, S.; and Hunter, P. R. 2004. "Animal Origins of SARS Coronavirus: Possible Links with the International Trade in Small Carnivores." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological Sciences 359:1107-1114.

Available at: http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=621987

Blanford, W.T. (William Thomas). 1885. "A Monograph of the Genus Paradoxurus, F. Cuv." Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London for the Year 1885 (November 3, 1885): 780 - 808.

Available at: http:http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Carnivora/Viverridae/Paradoxurus/Paradoxurus-zeylonensis.html

Gray, J.E. 1832. "On the Family of Viverridae and its Generic Sub-divisions, with an Enumeration of the Species of Several New Ones." Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London 1832(2):63-68.

Veron, Geraldine. 2010. “Phylogeny of the Viverridae and ‘Viverrid-like’ Feliforms.” Pp. 64-90 in Carnivoran Evolution: New Views on Phylogeny, Form and Function edited by Anjali Goswami and Anthony Friscia. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge Studies in Morphology and Molecules.

Mountain Jungle Eyes: green t-shirt ~ Available via Amazon

Jungle travelers may never know that they are being quietly watched by "invisible" jungle dwellers, such as Golden Wet-Zone Palm Civets.

Sri Lanka Footprint Dream Trip by Sara Chare

Small and light enough to fit easily into a jacket pocket, this new guide is packed full of ideas, suggestions and expert advice on everything from visiting sacred temples to spotting roaming elephants.